February Snowfalls 2/10-2/12, Part III & IV

[Snowfreak]

That’s what heaven looks like.

 

Hell has palm trees.

That pic is Ahhhh-mazing!!  Can't  believe how close that depth of snow is to Seattle and the rest of us.  Goes to show you what Arctic air and Pacific moisture can do when they clash.    

[crf450ish]

There's 3 1/2 feet of new snow in Bonners Ferry Idaho. I'm here right now. It's been snowing heavily since 1am this morning. 3 1/2 feet of new snow total since Sunday. Absolutely nuts. The plows can't keep up!!! Temp in the high teens!

[jakeinthevalley]

Northern Coast range snowpack is getting impressive. Saddle Mountain SNOTEL site (SE of Astoria just above 3,000') has close to 40" on the ground right now. Almost half of that has fallen since midnight last night...

 

https://wcc.sc.egov.usda.gov/reportGenerator/view/customSingleStationReport/hourly/726:OR:SNTL%7cid=%22%22%7cname/-167,0/WTEQ::value,SNWD::value,PREC::value,TOBS::value?fitToScreen=false

Unfortunately, I really don't want a "snowpack" in the coast range with the pattern we just went through.

 

If I recall, there was just over 6' of snow at Laurel Mtn before the'96 AR took over. Figured that added about 10" of run off.

[Esquimalt]

Tracking Thursday's potential lowland snowmaker on the 00z NAM and noticed it has the low 6mb stronger than the 18z (986mb v. 992mb.)

 

Will be interesting if that translates to heavier precip rates over Western Washington.

 

Yeah nice. Shows a quick 4 or 5 inches here from that one.

[MossMan]

Yeah nice. Shows a quick 4 or 5 inches here from that one.

How’s it looking for the sound. I’m too lazy to look and our master map poster decided to take a vacation.

[TT-SEA]

That pic is Ahhhh-mazing!!  Can't  believe how close that depth of snow is to Seattle and the rest of us.  Goes to show you what Arctic air and Pacific moisture can do when they clash.    

 

 

Don't try to go to North Bend to see it yet.  There are so many semi trucks that tried to get off I-90 and into town because the pass has been closed for so long and now they are buried where they got stuck.    It looks like a scene from The Day After Tomorrow.     Our neighborhood association put out an e-mail just now trying too coordinate people with snowmobiles to get people out if they need help or have an emergency.    They said it will be 3-4 days before they can get bigger equipment in to help.    We were so lucky to get out.   I was sure we were going to get stuck and end up walking back home.  

 

Might look pretty but its too much now.   

[Bryant]

Komo 4 was live from my neighborhood about an hour ago. However the headline mentioned Lake Whatcom and Sudden Valley, when it should have said Reed Lake and Glenhaven lol

[Esquimalt]

How’s it looking for the sound. I’m too lazy to look and our master map poster decided to take a vacation.

Not bad actually. Looks like a rain snow freezing rain mix. Your area seems like a mixed bag of precipitation weirdly too.

[Jesse]

Unfortunately, I really don't want a "snowpack" in the coast range with the pattern we just went through.

 

If I recall, there was just over 6' of snow at Laurel Mtn before the'96 AR took over. Figured that added about 10" of run off.

Well we don’t always get an AR on top of heavy low elevation snowpack. The flood of 1996 was a pretty unique situation. The benefits of decent snowpack far outweigh the risks of a rare major flood event like that one.

[Frontal Snowsquall]

Late February’s have been top tier over the last 10+ years.

2/18/18 through 2/28/18 I had snow on the ground and a few sub freezing highs.

Also this little gem on 2/28/07 just to name a few.

Yeah, I did well last February too. Had 3 separate snowstorms starting with the one on 2/18. I think we'll have one more crack at cold and snowy weather before February ends.

[Esquimalt]

18z Euro shows snow for the foothills, North Sound, Hood Canal, and BC. Most of what is shown falls Thursday evening/night.

 

By 10AM Friday...

 

Any idea why a good portion of my region gets 6 inches and another gets 1 inch? Too warm or too dry?

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Well we don’t always get an AR on top of heavy low elevation snowpack. The flood of 1996 was a pretty unique situation. The benefits of decent snowpack far outweigh the risks of a rare major flood event like that one.

 

There were several feet of snow on the ground down to about 1000' in the Oregon Cascade foothills and Coast range when the flood of 96' happened. I remember going to Zigzag on the Saturday before the flood, the day of the first freezing rain event, and there was probably about 3' of snow on the ground there at about 1500' or so. Also the AR was a multi-day event with snow levels well above the passes. 

[bainbridgekid]

How’s it looking for the sound. I’m too lazy to look and our master map poster decided to take a vacation.

00z NAM shows us being slightly too warm East of the Sound, but a nice little dump for Kitsap/Hood Canal and the Chehalis Gap South of the Olympics.

 

[VancouverIslandSouth]

Still haven't got above freezing in this part of Victoria, the combo of continuing outflow, thick snow cover, and dense cloud cover/flurries may be enough to pull off a 4th sub-freezing high if things stay steady tonight. The snow has compacted a little and a bit has blown off the trees but things still look pretty nice:

 

[Esquimalt]

Still haven't got above freezing in this part of Victoria, the combo of continuing outflow, thick snow cover, and dense cloud cover/flurries may be enough to pull off a 4th sub-freezing high if things stay steady tonight. The snow has compacted a little and a bit has blown off the trees but things still look pretty nice:

 

What is your take on the Thursday/Friday situation?

[Guest CulverJosh]

Fukk portland area right now. We had so much potential and it got spit on us. Even overnight with a chance of snow last night and it got progressively worse. Time to move to a snow belt.

[antipex]

There were several feet of snow on the ground down to about 1000' in the Oregon Cascade foothills and Coast range when the flood of 96' happened. I remember going to Zigzag on the Saturday before the flood, the day of the first freezing rain event, and there was probably about 3' of snow on the ground there at about 1500' or so. Also the AR was a multi-day event with snow levels well above the passes. 

 

I believe we had a good foot of snow at 500' on the edge of Gresham. It was crazy how fast it disappeared!

[Front Ranger]

SEA hanging on to their sub-40 streak by a thread!

[HighlandExperience]

Through Saturday AM

 

 

 

 

Anyone with access to the 18z euro know if it shows the same thing?

[VancouverIslandSouth]

What is your take on the Thursday/Friday situation?

 

Under normal circumstances I'd say that looks pretty marginal. But this has a few things going for it, first there's a lot of snowcover throughout the region and thick snowcover here that won't have melted much by then, there's an established cold pool of air in the region, then there's positioning of that offshore low. The way the 0z NAM and some of the other models have that low aligning to the E/SE of us as the warm from approaches couldn't get much better. We'd have outflow from an established pool of cold air running under a band of sub-tropical moisture. It's something to watch for, but keep in mind if the low is a bit to the north of where the NAM has it and we get SE or even E winds instead and the heaviest stuff will be directed up toward Nanaimo and Victoria will be warmer and shadowed. Saturation of the airmass is a concern as well, we'll have a better shot at something significant if the air dries out a bit ahead of that, we'll need a bit of evaporative cooling to keep temperatures down.

[seattleweatherguy]

Power back on!

[epiceast]

Don't try to go to North Bend to see it yet.  There are so many semi trucks that tried to get off I-90 and into town because the pass has been closed for so long and now they are buried where they got stuck.    It looks like a scene from The Day After Tomorrow.     Our neighborhood association put out an e-mail just now trying too coordinate people with snowmobiles to get people out if they need help or have an emergency.    They said it will be 3-4 days before they can get bigger equipment in to help.    We were so lucky to get out.   I was sure we were going to get stuck and end up walking back home.  

 

Might look pretty but its too much now.   

Good timing man. You got to witness the storm, leave before roads are closed down, and not even have to watch it all me.t

[TT-SEA]

Good timing man. You got to witness the storm, leave before roads are closed down, and not even have to watch it all me.t

It won't be melting before we get back. Maybe in a month.

 

I am glad we were home to dig out. It would really suck having to deal with all of that trying to get to the house after we got back.

[Front Ranger]

Did not. But we are in a good weather area. Should be partly cloudy or sunny and in the upper 70s to low 80s. The storm this weekend was a good one to miss. Although I was checking web cams near our resort and it was sunny and the beach was crowded so it was not that bad.

 

Sounds like that area is due to get some interesting weather.

[TT-SEA]

Sounds like that area is due to get some interesting weather.

Looks pretty quiet for our trip.

[jakeinthevalley]

Well we don’t always get an AR on top of heavy low elevation snowpack. The flood of 1996 was a pretty unique situation. The benefits of decent snowpack far outweigh the risks of a rare major flood event like that one.

True, but the Oregon Coast Range doesn't need a snowpack for the region to have an ample supply of water throughout the dry season.

 

Even in the best of years, Mary's Peak barely held on to snow fields through early June.

[epiceast]

It won't be melting before we get back. Maybe in a month.

 

I am glad we were home to dig out. It would really suck to having deal with all of that trying to get to the house after we got back.

Well maybe it won't melt, but the ugliest part of melting will be done in a week or two when you're back unless February is a permanent reload month(which is possible for North Bend, not gonna lie).

[Bryant]

Anyone with access to the 18z euro know if it shows the same thing?

18z euro was posted above

[HighlandExperience]

18z euro was posted above

 

Only shows through the 15th. 

[Geos]

Find it weird that it is warming up given that it is nighttime now...

[Front Ranger]

Looks pretty quiet for our trip.

 

This winter looked pretty quiet until it wasn't......

[Jesse]

True, but the Oregon Coast Range doesn't need a snowpack for the region to have an ample supply of water throughout the dry season.

 

Even in the best of years, Mary's Peak barely held on to snow fields through early June.

Low elevation snowpack in the Cascades will generally translate to some snowpack in the Coast Range. So it’s a sign of a good year/healthy snowpack, even if we don’t directly depend on those mountain for water supply. If it’s a good mountain snow year they will get one whether or not you think they need it.

 

Mary’s peak is an interesting microclimate, btw. Snow into early summer and sub-alpine meadows on a coast range peak. Mt. Hebo is the only other place I can think of that you can find such an environment near the coast between the Columbia River and the Siskiyous.

[jakeinthevalley]

There were several feet of snow on the ground down to about 1000' in the Oregon Cascade foothills and Coast range when the flood of 96' happened. I remember going to Zigzag on the Saturday before the flood, the day of the first freezing rain event, and there was probably about 3' of snow on the ground there at about 1500' or so. Also the AR was a multi-day event with snow levels well above the passes.

That AR was definitely more widespread, unlike today's narrow band.

 

The other thing about Cascades west draining watersheds at that time of year, is that all of the flood control reservoirs were basically at minimum pool and we're able to delay some of the runoff.

 

Obviously the snow that was downstream from the dams melted quickly, it was the unregulated, east flowing drainages from the coast range that really overloaded the Willamette.

[Requiem]

San Francisco is getting my dream storm- heavy rain and high winds for almost 12 hours. Whoa!

[TT-SEA]

This winter looked pretty quiet until it wasn't......

 

It will be warmer and sunnier than at home.    

[VancouverIslandSouth]

Getting a few light flurries here now, looks like a very small low may have formed off the north coast of the island today and is working its way south.

[luminen]

Snow just stopped here. Had a nice bout of heavy to moderate snow for 1.5 hours. :)

[Jesse]

It will be warmer and sunnier than at home.

Was really surprised to see all that snow in Maui Phil posted about.

[jakeinthevalley]

Low elevation snowpack in the Cascades will generally translate to some snowpack in the Coast Range. So it’s a sign of a good year/healthy snowpack, even if we don’t directly depend on those mountain for water supply. If it’s a good mountain snow year they will get one whether or not you think they need it.

 

Mary’s peak is an interesting microclimate, btw. Snow into early summer and sub-alpine meadows on a coast range peak. Mt. Hebo is the only other place I can think of that you can find such an environment near the coast between the Columbia River and the Siskiyous.

I love Mary's Peak and Hebo. The climate is fascinating when you think about their proximity to the Pacific.

 

There is a story out there about George Taylor (remember him?) who was teaching an Atmospheric Science class at OSU during Spring term. He told the class that they would all get A's if there was visible snow on Marys Peak at the end of the term. The summit snowfield was visible from campus during finals week.

Not sure of the student's grade reports, but I do remember that story.

[VancouverIslandSouth]

Snow just stopped here. Had a nice bout of heavy to moderate snow for 1.5 hours. :)

 

How much did you end up with? It looked like your area got hit pretty hard by the outflow winds earlier in the week.